Steven Jackson has an option to void the final year of his contract with the St. Louis Rams. That would be the 2013 season, when he's due $7 million.

Lombardi: Don't expand playoffs

Roger Goodell says the NFL is pondering postseason expansion.
Michael Lombardi explains why this is a bad idea.
More ...

Even if Jackson doesn't exercise that option, the Rams might be unwilling to pay a soon-to-be 30-year-old running back that kind of cash. And Jackson wants a long-term contract that the sides couldn't reach last offseason.

"Have I thought about it? Yes, I have," Jackson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Will the emotion be high? It'll be high because Adrian Peterson is on the sideline."

Jackson repeatedly has said he wants to stay with the Rams. Coach Jeff Fisher wants Jackson to finish his career in St. Louis. But those desires tend to be easier said than done.

Jackson, the Rams' all-time leading rusher, needs 164 yards to become the sixth player in NFL history to post eight consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

"Nine years ago when I came in here, I was always taught to be consistent and to be dependable," Jackson said. "That's what I've tried to be my whole entire career. For me to put myself in this position to be able to hit these milestones, it says that I've done just that.